2004 Kia Spectra Air Bags & Restraints Problems

TAMARA RECALL; THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT ABOUT TEN CARS IN FRONT OF ME. I SEEN EVERYONE START HITTING THERE BRAKES SO I STARTED APPLYING MINE. THEN I REALIZED EVERYONE HAD COME TO A STOP SO I APPLIED ON MY BRAKES EVEN HARDER AND THEY LOCKED UP AND I SLID ABOUT 15 FT. AND HIT A TRUCK IN THE REAR END STILL GOING ABOUT 35 MPH. IT SHOVED THE FRONT END OF MY CAR BACK QUITE A BIT BUT YET MY AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.

FRONT END COLLISION GOING AROUND 30MPH AND NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. CAR IS TOTALED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED MONTHS LATER THE SEAT BELT SPRINGS FROM THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT FAILURE MILEAGE 143,000.

FRONTAL IMPACT AT ABOUT 40 MPH. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SUFFERED STRAINED NECK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR RECALL 05V431000 (AIR BAGS) AND THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND STAYED ON. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL. WHEN SOMEONE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WAS ACTIVATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT OR IT DEPLOYING AT ANY TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,800. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT TRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS LOCATED WHERE THE AIR BAGS WERE. SHE ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE THE WIRES FOR THE AIR BAGS WERE RUN CLOSE TO THE SEAT TRACK, THE AIR BAGS WERE DISCONNECTED WHEN THE SEAT WAS MOVED BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE SEAT MECHANISM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

BLACK ICE ON ROADS I ENDED UP TURNED UPSIDE DOWN IN A SIX FOOT DITCH. CAR HAS BEEN TOTALED. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. UPSET THAT A CRASH LIKE THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? *TR

FRONT END COLLISION, AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. 2004 KIA SPECTRA. IT WAS HIT BY A TRUCK AT APPROX. 55 MPH IN THE LEFT FRONT CORNER PUSHING EVERYTHING INTO THE MOTOR AREA AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

EVENFLO TRIUMPH ADVANCE' LX CONVERTIBLE FAILS TO PERFORM BASIC CARSEAT FUNCTIONS. ACTUAL CARSEAT DAMAGES ITSELF VIA RAZOR SHARP PLASTIC OPENINGS WHERE THE LATCH SYSTEM STRAP OR VEHICLE RESTRAINT STRAP GOES THROUGH THE SEAT. WE HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY CUT ON THIS PLASTIC ALONG WITH THE LATCH STRAP BEING FRAYED AND CUT BEYOND SAFE USE. WE HAVE DISCONTINUED USING THE LATCH SYSTEM BUT ARE CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY RESTRAINT STRAP WILL ALSO BE FRAYED AND BECOME UNSAFE ALONG WITH PERMANENT DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLE. THIS PLASTIC ISSUES HAS RESULTED IN GROSS SAFETY ISSUES ON A CONSTANT BASIS. CHILD CAN EASILY GET OUT OF THE CARSEAT REGARDLESS OF STRAP TENSION EVERY SINGLE USE. THE CHEST CLIP SLIPS UP AND DOWN TOO EASILY AND CHILD CAN SIMPLY, WITH 1 FINGER, SLIDE THE CHEST CLIP THE TO 5 POINT HARNESS, WIGGLE ARMS AND LEGS OUT AND GET INTO A STANDING POSITION WITHOUT MUCH DIFFICULTY. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

KIA AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT CRASH IMPACT OF ABOUT 40 MPH. *TR

THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE HOUSING ON MY 2004.5 KIA SPECTRA EX CRACKED, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT NOT TO LATCH. *TR

2004 AND A HALF KIA SPECTRA HAD THE RECALL OF THE AIR BAG LIGHT DONE, #05V431000. THE LIGHT STILL COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY STILL. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE AIRBAG WILL STILL WORK IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. HAPPENS TOO MUCH. IS IT REALLY SAFE. *JB

WARNING LIGHT FOR AIRBAG ON THE SPEEDOMETER PANEL STAYS ON. DEALER AND KIA TECH FIRST REPLACED PASSENGER SEAT COVER AND DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BUCKLE BECAUSE THEY WERE SHORTED OUT. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEY THEN SAID THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE OF SOME FLUID SPILLED ON COMPUTER UNDER CUP HOLDERS IN THE CENTER COUNCIL. (WHY WOULD ANYONE PUT A LIQUID SENSITIVE PRODUCT UNDER A CUP HOLDER?) THEY STATED THAT PIN 3 ON THE COMPUTER CONNECTOR WAS SHORTED OUT. I THEN POINTED OUT THAT PIN 3 WAS A GROUND PIN. KIA HAS HAD MASSIVE FAILURES WITH THEIR EARLY AIRBAG SYSTEMS AND HAVE REFUSED TO FIX AN ITEM THAT WAS THE BASES FOR CHOOSING THEIR PRODUCT. KIA HAS SINCE INTRODUCED A NEW AIRBAG PRODUCT THAT SEEMS TO WORK FLAWLESSLY. THIS NEW PRODUCT SHOULD BE OFFERED AT NO EXPENSE TO THOSE OF US THAT WERE PROVIDED A INFERIOR AND UNSAFE PRODUCT. *TR

2004 KIA SPECTRA ON 3/20/06 WAS IMPACTED ON PASSENGER SIDE WITHIN THE AREA OF FRONT AND REAR DOORS. THE IMPACT FORCED THE REAR OF MY CAR TO SLID AWAY FROM IMPACT AND COME IN CONTACT WITH A PICKUP TRUCK DAMAGING MY DRIVERS SIDE REAR QUARTER AND NOT ONE AIR BAG IN MY CAR DEPLOYED AND THERE ARE 8 AIR BAGS IN THIS MODEL CAR. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND SHE RAN A STOP SIGN. SHE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *AK

I HAD NO INDICATION THAT MY SEAT BELT OR AIRBAG WERE FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH I STRUCK A CAR THAT TURNED LEFT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. MY SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK AND I WAS LIFTED OUT OF THE SEAT AND HIT MY HEAD, SHOULDER, AND HIP ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY CAR. THE AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATE. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIRBAG DIDN'T INFLATE CONSIDERING THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT. *JB

THERE WAS NO INDICATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT, I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT AND HE WAS DRIVING. MY SEAT BELT LOCKED AND HIS DIDN'T ALLOWING HIM TO BE THROWN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL, THIS LEFT HIM WITH A SEVERELY BRUISED RIBCAGE. THE SEAT BELTS WERE BOTH REPLACED AS PART OF THE DAMAGES TO THE CAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS STANDARD PROCEDURE AFTER AN ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, AND I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD HAVE SINCE I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR A LITTLE LONGER THAN A YEAR. *NM

MY COMPLAINT IS NOT A TRADITIONAL "FAILURE" AS YOU ARE ACCUSTOMED TO RECEIVING ON YOUR WEBSITE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT KIA HAS REDESIGNED THE AIRBAG MODULE IN THEIR NEWLY DESIGNED SPECTRA MODEL, AND DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY PLANS FOR RETRO-FITTING THE NEW DESIGN TO SAME MODEL SPECTRAS MANUFACTURED BEFORE JAN 2005. THE NEW DESIGN WAS AN IMPROVEMENT TO ALLOW THE SPECTRA TO RAISE ITS "POOR" OFFSET IIHS FRONTAL CRASH RATING TO SOMETHING BETTER. THE NEW TESTS OF THE REDESIGNED MODULE UPGRADED OFFSET FRONTAL CRASH RESULTS TO "ACCEPTABLE". SMALLER VENTING HOLES IN THE AIRBAG ARE DESCRIBED AS THE PRIMARY CHANGE. IT IS STATED THAT THE TEST CAR WAS INDEED A 2004.5 MODEL RETROFITTED WITH THE NEW AIRBAG MODULE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF KIA COULD RETROFIT AN 2004.5 MODEL AT TO OBTAIN A NEW TEST FROM IIHS, THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO OFFER THAT MODULE UPGRADE FREE-OF-CHARGE TO PURCHASERS OF THE 2004.5 AND 2005 MODELS BUILT BEFORE JAN 2005. SEE THE LINKS BELOW FOR MORE OF THE SPECIFIC IIHS DETAILS. === IIHS TEST WITH OLD AIRBAG DESIGN RESULTING IN A "POOR" RATING HTTP://WWW.HWYSAFETY.ORG/VEHICLE%5FRATINGS/CE/HTML/0417.HTM === IIHS TEST WITH NEW AIRBAG DESIGN RESULTING IN A "ACCEPTABLE" RATING: HTTP://WWW.HWYSAFETY.ORG/VEHICLE%5FRATINGS/CE/HTML/0502.HTM . *AK ===

FRONT AIR BAG LIGHT DOESN'T CONSISTENTLY TURN ON WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM ACTIVATES AT APPROXIMATELY 125 POUNDS. THE CONSUMER AND PASSENGER ARE BOTH UNDERWEIGHT TO ACTIVATE THE SYSTEM. *TC *JB

DT: 2004 KIA SPECTRA. THE CONSUMER STATES THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS A FEATURE THAT HAS A LIGHT THAT COMES ON IF THE PERSON IN THE SEAT IS LESS THAN 90 POUNDS, STATING THE AIRBAG IS OFF. THIS LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THERE IS AN ADULT IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE SEAT WAS SENT TO HOUSTON, AND IT WAS RECALIBRATED. THE SEAT WAS DOING THE SAME THING, AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL THE DEALERSHIP TALKED TO A KIA REPRESENTATIVE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE.*AK *JB